Marriage and celibacy

[onmyknees]

I too was baptized Catholic as a baby and was married to a non-Catholic in a civil marriage. We were married 27 years before I came back to the Church. We too had to wait for the convalidation of our marriage because we were in an invalid marriage due to the fact that I was a baptized Catholic. My priest told me that I could refrain from receiving the Eucharist if my husband didn’t want to abstain from sexual relations until the convalidation. Then he told me to come to confession right before the convalidation. I think this is similar to your situation but I agree you need to talk to your pastor.

 

[Snowy]

Thank you for your corrections, Puzzleannie, that´s how we learn. Celibacy has two meanings, but I still appreciate being taught the lingo of my Church. I wasn’t looking for advice and yet I got the best I could have asked for: I’ll talk to my priest.

Thank you, 1ke and the others who showed interest in my situation. I knew already that my marriage was illicit and that I was a fornicator according to our Church, what I was hoping to get was great arguments that would help me accept those dogmas with something other than faith alone.

Thanks to all who were concerned for my wife; I feel like I owe you an explanation: I know well what my wife likes better than sex (body rubs and conversation), and she’s had more than her fair share of that these last days. Since I don’t think that the Church has ever condemned cat calling your own wife, she got plenty of that also. When I asked her last night what she had noticed about me this last week her first guess was “you’re more loving” and her second “you don’t give me the cold treatment any more”. I had to give her some clues before she mentioned that I hadn’t asked her to perform her marital duties, so her anger at me was due to her preconceptions about Catholics, not to my inattention (she gave birth 5 months ago and she’s still not “back to normal”).

It is a miracle, Lil Cat, that a month ago you were in my wife’s situation and now you’re praying for us; I’m very glad for you. Your husband should be canonized!

“Dismissing either covenant seems improper. Certainly aligning the two is the answer.” (Texasroofer.) I’m taking that to the bank, Texasroofer. I’m a carpenter and am glad that I’m not the only partially bronzed person in this forum.

Thank you, Onmyknees; your priest looks wise to my eyes.

I apologize for my words concerning men who wear skirts; even though I’m old enough to know that priests come in all grades of wisdom and faithfulness, I have always respected their vocation. I was in great pain when I said that. These last two days I’ve been bent over with pain feeling like someone was kicking me repeatedly you-know-where. I’m sure it will eventually go away, otherwise saints would never be pictured standing straight.